Bicycle Network: Support & Promote

Adelaide hosts Velo-City

23 February 2012. Velo-City Global, the premier international bike conference, will be held in Adelaide in 2014.

The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) selected Adelaide to host the conference over a range of other cities, including Vienna and Rio de Janeiro.

The winning host city is required to make a substantial financial contribution to the ECF.

Brisbane has previously bid for the conference but was unsuccessful.

Australia's leading bike conference is the annual Bike Futures conference, which is staged in October each year and draws the key people around Australia involved in developing bike friendly policies at the state and local government level.

This year the Bike Futures conference is on 18-19 October.

SA Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Patrick Conlon said that as well as delivering an economic boost to the state, the conference will cement Adelaide’s reputation as a vibrant cycling-friendly city.

The event is being held after the 2012 Tour Down Under and hopes to attract 900 delegates.

The Adelaide Convention Bureau and Bicycle SA led the submission to host Velo-City Global 2014, with support and engagement by the State Government, Adelaide City Council, the Adelaide Convention Centre, the University of South Australia and a range of cycling-related organisations across South Australia and wider Australia.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the event was a huge coup for Adelaide, expecting to generate a $3.4 million economic boost for the city.

“It’s also an incredible win for cycling in SA and will significantly support my goal for Adelaide to be the greatest cycling city in the Southern Hemisphere,” he said.

The city council is signatory to the contract and Bicycle SA will be engaged as Program Partner as well as a Professional Conference Organiser to deliver the Velo-City 2014 Conference.

Bicycle SA chief executive officer Christian Haag said some of the great thinkers, visionaries and business professionals from around the world will descend on Adelaide.
“They will share, learn, challenge and naturally go for a ride or two,” he said.

The 2012 conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada. Previous hosts include Copenhagen, Denmark and Seville, Spain.